Frozen Charlotte Dolls
Title
Frozen Charlotte Dolls
Subject
Toys
Dolls
Description
These two dolls were found in completely different CCUs.
Made of porcelain, Frozen Charlotte Dolls, aka penny dolls, hail from Germany and came in a variety of sizes. Most were meant for use in the bathtub. They became popular in the United States around 1860, coinciding with the popularity of a morbid song about a girl named Charlotte who froze to death in a sleigh after refusing to wear a blanket over her fine clothes. These dolls served many purposes, including being baked into new year's King Cakes, but ultimately they were children's dolls that adults gave a morbid history. They would have normally had painted short, dark hair, red lips, and rosy cheeks.
Smaller Doll: CCU 115
Larger doll: CCU 165
*Edits: More fragmented doll bodies of various sizes were found at CCU 170, CCU 115, 9FU91, and two doll heads were found in 9FU91 and 9FU93
Made of porcelain, Frozen Charlotte Dolls, aka penny dolls, hail from Germany and came in a variety of sizes. Most were meant for use in the bathtub. They became popular in the United States around 1860, coinciding with the popularity of a morbid song about a girl named Charlotte who froze to death in a sleigh after refusing to wear a blanket over her fine clothes. These dolls served many purposes, including being baked into new year's King Cakes, but ultimately they were children's dolls that adults gave a morbid history. They would have normally had painted short, dark hair, red lips, and rosy cheeks.
Smaller Doll: CCU 115
Larger doll: CCU 165
*Edits: More fragmented doll bodies of various sizes were found at CCU 170, CCU 115, 9FU91, and two doll heads were found in 9FU91 and 9FU93
Source
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/frozen-charlotte-dolls
https://quintessentialantiquedolls.wordpress.com/2021/08/11/after-the-bath-dressing-the-little-bathing-dolls/
https://quintessentialantiquedolls.wordpress.com/2021/08/11/after-the-bath-dressing-the-little-bathing-dolls/
Publisher
Phoenix Project
Date
c. 1860
Contributor
Emmett Cantkier
Cloe Ellington
Cloe Ellington
Format
Larger doll:
36g
63mm x 29mm x 21 mm
Smaller doll:
10g
41mm x 20mm x 14mm
Bottom half only:
14g
42mm x 16mm x 18mm
36g
63mm x 29mm x 21 mm
Smaller doll:
10g
41mm x 20mm x 14mm
Bottom half only:
14g
42mm x 16mm x 18mm
Type
Porcelain
Ceramic
Identifier
Smaller doll: ACC 189 a244
Larger doll: ACC 190 a321
Bottom half only: ACC 153 a423
Heads: a3545 ACC 170 // a3860 ACC 170
Larger doll: ACC 190 a321
Bottom half only: ACC 153 a423
Heads: a3545 ACC 170 // a3860 ACC 170
Coverage
CCU 115
CCU 165
CCU 170
9FU91
9FU93
Collection
Citation
“Frozen Charlotte Dolls,” The Phoenix Project , accessed September 7, 2024, http://martaphoenixproject.gsuanthropology.com/items/show/117.